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Why GoBank’s Brand Placement in Project Runway is Genius

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 14:42

I've followed Project Runway ever since its first season nine (yes, 9!) years ago. It attracts fashionistas, artists, and creative viewers from all ages that feel inspired by a series of design "challenges" where a talented group of men and women from different walks of life show their unique points of view. That's why a few weeks ago, when I spotted a new brand called GoBank take advantage of this trendy media platform, I was immediately drawn to it.

GoBank partnered with Project Runway to show us how their new mobile app works in VERY real purchase situations. To give you a little context, Project Runway designers have always had a budget for every "challenge". This budget varies according to the type of garment they must create, and historically it has always been given out in cash. You'd see frantic designers running all over a fabric store (called Mood, in yet another brilliant brand placement) counting coins and bills while fighting against a really tight time limit.

Starting from Season 12, designers no longer receive cash. Instead, each of them got a smartphone with GoBank's brand new mobile app and a $4,000 budget for the entire season. Now, every time they go shopping, the show's cameras focus on GoBank's ease of use and I'm thinking "Cool, that could be me," from the comfort of my couch. Here's the thing: there's much more to "that could be me" than meets the eye. Instantly, my aspiration towards becoming a powerful creative individual (like these designers) is matched with GoBank's new tool. In other words, everything I already admire from Project Runway's designers is suddenly transferred to this fancy new app.

Brand placements, partnerships where your brand is present in another brand's context, are commonplace and successful -- when done right. GoBank's new partnership with Project Runway has managed to associate the bank's brand with an aspirational lifestyle that the award-winning reality show has always been known for. Great brand placements align values from different brands into a single story that makes sense for the consumer and engages him/her. Here are some brand values that Project Runway has built throughout the years and make it an ideal placement platform for some lifestyle brands: